


Alone in the Dark

by StarStorm21



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Suicidal Thoughts, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:06:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22521478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarStorm21/pseuds/StarStorm21
Summary: That was it. Remus was accepted by the light sides. It was only a matter of time until his door would be gone from the dark side’s hallway and moved to the light side.He’d be alone.Deceit contemplates being the last dark side.
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit Sanders, Deceit Sanders & Everyone
Comments: 13
Kudos: 226





	Alone in the Dark

“Big D guess what! Guess what!” Remus burst into Deceit’s room like an excited, well puppy wasn’t really the right way to describe Remus. Like an animal that was just as excitable but less cute and more gross.  
Deceit turned to Remus, unable to stop the smile on his face. As repulsive as Remus was, excitement was still a contagious emotion. “What?”  
Remus’ grin was manic. “I got Thomas to laugh! At one of my ideas!”  
Deceit felt his stomach twist but kept his smile. Ever since he’d let Remus out and Thomas had made the Dealing with Intrusive Thoughts video, Thomas had been allowing Remus to have his say more. Of course, Thomas rarely, if ever, agreed with any of Remus suggestions, but he still let Remus feel listened to. The unwanted seeds of jealousy and self-doubt planted themselves in Deceit’s gut, but he refused to let them show. He was the embodiment of lies and secrets after all. “Is that so?”  
“Yeah, I mean it was a bit tamer than my usual stuff, but it just popped into my head, like a little brain zit, and I just had to say it. Then it made Thomas laugh!”  
Deceit let his smile soften. “That’s horrible, Remus. I’m not happy for you.”  
Remus playfully shoved Deceit. “Thanks, Big D. I’m going to go rampage through a village in the imagination to celebrate!”  
“Don’t you usually create new plagues to celebrate? Not like the one with the eye eating snakes?”  
Remus snorted. “Yeah, that was fun. Thanks for helping me with that one, but I don’t really feel up to it today. Besides I got a new sewer monster form I want to try out.”  
“Alright, have fun. I don’t want to hear about it when you get back.”  
“Gotcha. See you later!”  
Deceit waved as Remus left, then let his smile finally fall. Remus was already showing the side effects. Just like how Virgil no longer need to be terrifying, now that Thomas wasn’t repressing him anymore, Remus was finding he didn’t need to be so extreme in his suggestions to be heard.  
The thought of Virgil made Deceit’s heart ache. He’d never admit it, but he missed him. Virgil had completed their strange little family, but then Thomas had made his Taking on Anxiety video. That had brought Virgil out into the discussion room with the light sides, which then led to the Accepting Anxiety videos, and now Virgil was permanently accepted as a light side.  
Now the same thing was happening with Remus. Everyone was still repulsed by most of what he said, but he’d been getting along better with Thomas and the other sides. Even Roman was warming up to his estranged brother. If Remus left, Deceit would be alone.  
Sure, he could talk Remus into staying. Heck if he really leaned into his manipulation aspect, he could probably get Virgil back too, but he didn’t want to do that. They were so much happier now; he couldn’t take that away from them. He didn’t want that.  
No what he really wanted was to join them. He wanted to be up there with the other sides. To be acknowledged and listened to, without having to hide that an idea came from him. He wanted to be accepted. But every time he tried to be part of the conversation, to convince Thomas that lies and secrets were important too, he only ended up making Thomas and the light sides dislike him more. Even Virgil was against him now. He couldn’t risk doing more damage than he’d already done.  
He was stuck. Thomas didn’t want him, and he couldn’t convince him otherwise, but he also couldn’t duck out like Virgil had. Even if Thomas refused to see it, his job was still important, and no one would come get him until it was too late. He couldn’t risk that.  
His only option was to remain a dark side. The only dark side. Alone and shunned by everyone. Forever.  
He curled up on his bed, hugging his knees to his chest. He couldn’t live like that, but he had no other option.  
Well there was one other option, but the idea terrified him. It went against his nature of self-preservation, but was wasting away alone and hated really worth preserving? He decided he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not yet.  
-  
A few hours later Remus came back from his rampage grinning even wider than he had when he left. Deceit would have mentioned it looked like his face was splitting in half if it wouldn’t have given Remus ideas.  
“Looks like you had a terrible time.”  
“It was great. I started off small, just picking off a few people here and there, get everyone scared. Then I used my tentacles to burst out of several manhole covers at once, before eating my way up through the streets. Then it got even better. Roman showed up and we had a big fun fight and I exploded. There were bloody slimy bits on everyone!”  
“Wow you and Roman have had an imagination fight in years.”  
“I know! Then guess what happened next.”  
“I don’t assume you reformed as you can do much as a bunch of slimy bits.”  
“And bloody, they were slimy bloody bits, but yeah I did have to reform because Roman wanted to talk to me.” Remus was practically vibrating. “Roman said the lights are having movie night tomorrow and he said I might like the movie, so he asked me to come.”  
“Oh.” Deceit felt the twist in his guts again. “And what movie might that be?”  
Since movies in the mind were really just replayed memories it really could be anything.  
“Apparently Thomas went to see a play version of Beetlejuice so we’re going to be watching that.”  
“Yes, I can’t see why you’d like that.”  
“I can’t wait to see how realistic they made the effects, and then make them even better in the imagination.”  
Deceit only smiled as Remus continued to ramble.  
-  
That night Deceit lay in his bed, letting the tears finally fall. That was it. Remus was accepted by the light sides. It was only a matter of time until his door would be gone from the dark side’s hallway and moved to the light side.  
He’d be alone.  
He felt a sob bubble up and he pressed his pillow to his mouth, to muffle it. He couldn’t let Remus know he was upset. If Remus knew then he’d want to stay, and he couldn’t do that to him.  
He let himself cry himself dry before letting out a sigh and getting out of bed. He’d decided he’d do it. He’d fade into the subconscious. Sides couldn’t die. Not really. They were a part of Thomas and as long as Thomas was alive, they would exist in some form or another, but they could fade. Become nothing more than their core function. Thomas would still be able to lie, but Deceit would no longer be able to give his input on it. He wouldn’t have a voice, or even a mouth to say it with. He wouldn’t have a form, or thoughts, or feelings, or memories. He’d just be.  
Maybe one day Thomas would bring him back, but he wouldn’t be the same. He’d be a new Deceit, with no memories of before. A Deceit that didn’t have the sins of the past haunting him. A Deceit that could be accepted. A better Deceit then he could be right now.  
He couldn’t do it now though. Remus would be sad and not go to the movie. No, he’d do it while Remus was gone. While he was happy with the other sides and Deceit was alone. It would be easier when he was alone.  
-  
The next day he forced a smile and made breakfast for Remus and himself. They really didn’t need to eat but it was a nice way to spend time together. The last time they would spend together.  
“So what time is the movie?”  
“Uh, think Roman said after lunch.” Remus leaned back in his chair at a dangerous angle. “So, like 1-ish.”  
Deceit made a nod of acknowledgement.  
-  
One O’clock came far too quickly.  
Deceit was in his room trying to calm himself. Now that it was finally time to do it, he was terrified. He took a breath and had finally let himself commit, when he heard a knock on his door.  
He turned to it in confusion. Remus should have left by now, right?  
He opened the door to see Remus on the other side.  
“Remus, what are you doing? The movie isn’t going to start soon.”  
“Yeah, that’s why I’m coming to get you. I don’t want to be late.”  
“Get me?”  
“Yeah, did you think I was going to see a movie on the light side without you? That’d be way too awkward, and not the good kind that happens when I say something like…”  
“But they invited me.”  
Remus looked back to Deceit. “The invitation was implied, duh. Now stop sitting there with your thumb up your ass and come on. I don’t want to miss the movie.”  
Deceit didn’t have a time to answer as Remus grabbed him and they both sank out of the dark side and appeared in the light side common room together.  
“Excellent, you guys made it just in time.”  
They turned to see Roman sitting on the couch with Logan, Patton, and Virgil around him. Virgil sitting on the back of the couch in his normal sitting places not meant to be sat on.  
Remus smiled and happily plopped himself on the floor, while Deceit tried to think of where he should sit.  
Patton seemed to notice this and patted the space next to him. Deceit awkwardly took it but only sat as close to Patton as needed without it looking obvious.  
Roman pressed play and they all settled down to watch.  
-  
As the play went on Deceit found himself relaxing. He even found himself laughing at some parts, even if it was more to Remus’ taste. There really did seem to be something for everyone.  
Near the end of the movie Deceit realized that at some point Patton had put an arm around him and moved him closer. Remus had also scooted backwards and was now laying on everyone’s feet, aside from Virgil. In fact, it seemed they’d all managed to snuggle closer together.  
Strangely enough Deceit didn’t feel awkward and instead found himself snuggling more into Patton’s side. Patton seemed to instinctively react to this by pulling him even closer. This was nice.  
After the movie ended, he and Remus got up to leave, but not before being asked if they wanted to come to the next movie night. Remus agreed for the both of them and they sunk out to the dark side.  
Once back home Remus started rambling away. Deceit smiled, maybe he wasn’t going to be alone after all.


End file.
